DOT REPORT #52- January, 1998 ================================================================= A compilation of rail notices published by the US Department of Transportation between January 16 - 31, 1998. Includes Surface Transportation Board abandonment, operation and control notices, FRA orders and related petitions. Condensed from original. ================================================================= CONTENTS: Illinois Central Railroad Company and New Orleans Public Belt Railroad--Joint Relocation Project Exemption--in New Orleans, LA Maumee & Western Railroad Corporation--Operation Exemption-- Maumee & Western, L.L.C. Union Pacific Railroad Company--Trackage Rights Exemption-- Southern Pacific Transportation Company Wabash Central Railroad Corporation--Operation Exemption--Wabash Central, L.L.C. Boston and Maine Corporation--Abandonment and Springfield Terminal Railway Company--Discontinuance of Service--in Hartford and New Haven Counties, CT CSX Transportation, Inc.--Abandonment Exemption--in Franklin County, TN Blue Mountain Railroad, Inc.--Trackage Rights Exemption--Union Pacific Railroad Company Iowa Interstate Railroad, Ltd.--Lease and Operation Exemption-- Union Pacific Railroad Company CSX Transportation, Inc.--Trackage Rights Exemption--Consolidated Rail Corporation and Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company--Trackage Rights Exemption--Southern Pacific Transportation Company GRC Holdings Corporation--Acquisition Exemption--Union Pacific Railroad Company Missouri Central Railroad Company--Acquisition and Operation Exemption--Lines of Union Pacific Railroad Company The Birmingham Southern Railroad Company; Abandonment and Discontinuance of Trackage Rights in Jefferson County, AL Grand Trunk Western Railroad, Incorporated--Abandonment Exemption--in Oakland County, MI Union Pacific Railroad Company; Trackage Rights Exemption; Southern Pacific Transportation Company Southern Pacific Transportation Company--Trackage Rights Exemption--Union Pacific Railroad Company ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 33533] Illinois Central Railroad Company and New Orleans Public Belt Railroad--Joint Relocation Project Exemption--in New Orleans, LA On December 23, 1997, Illinois Central Railroad Company (IC) and New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB) jointly filed a notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(5) to reconfigure IC and NOPB operations over their adjacent track. The proposed transaction was scheduled to be consummated on or after the December 30, 1997 effective date of the exemption. IC is a Class I railroad operating approximately 2,600 miles of rail line in six states, and NOPB is a Class III terminal switching railroad owned by the City of New Orleans, LA. NOPB operates approximately 25 miles of rail line in and around New Orleans. Within the City of New Orleans, IC and NOPB own and operate adjacent mainlines. Under the joint project, IC and NOPB propose the following transactions: (1) NOPB will grant IC non-exclusive bridge trackage rights over 3.4 miles of NOPB's Main Line and Siding Track between milepost JO.3, at Lampert Junction, and milepost 3.4, at Nashville Avenue (IC will continue to serve the Sewerage and Water Board track near Oak Street.); (2) IC will relocate its operation to NOPB trackage and will abandon its adjacent Main Line trackage between milepost 917.77, at Nashville Avenue, and milepost 921.13, at Lampert Junction, a distance of approximately 3.36 miles; (3) IC will grant NOPB non-exclusive bridge trackage rights over approximately 5,568 feet of IC's Main Line from Station 120+00.00, at Nashville Avenue, to Station 175+68.09, at Valence Street; and (4) IC and NOPB will perform such incidental relocation of signals and power switches as necessary to complete the proposed reconfiguration of operations contemplated by the exemption. The transaction will simplify rail operations in the area and will reduce the number of unnecessary tracks on street right-of-way and reduce the number of tracks in grade crossings in the area. The joint project will not change service to shippers, expand the operations of IC or NOPB into new territory, or alter the existing competitive situation. The Board will exercise jurisdiction over the abandonment or construction components of a relocation project, and require separate approval or exemption, only where the removal of track affects service to shippers or the construction of new track involves expansion into new territory. Line relocation projects may embrace trackage rights transactions such as the one involved here. Under these standards, the incidental abandonment, construction, and trackage rights components require no separate approval or exemption when the relocation project, as here, will not disrupt service to shippers. Decided: January 9, 1998. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 33535] Maumee & Western Railroad Corporation--Operation Exemption-- Maumee & Western, L.L.C. Maumee & Western Railroad Corporation, a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to acquire operating rights over a line of railroad owned by Maumee & Western, L.L.C., from Liberty Center, OH (milepost TN-28.0), to Woodburn, IN (milepost 79.0), a distance of approximately 51 route miles. The transaction was scheduled to be consummated on or after December 31, 1997. Decided: January 7, 1998. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 33449] Union Pacific Railroad Company--Trackage Rights Exemption-- Southern Pacific Transportation Company Southern Pacific Transportation Company (SP) has agreed to grant overhead trackage rights to Union Pacific Transportation Company (UP) over SP's tracks known as the Bakersfield Line from milepost 479.1 near Keenbrook to milepost 481.0 near Dike, a distance of 1.9 miles, in the vicinity of Los Angeles, CA. UP states that it filed this notice of exemption to extend the trackage rights it received from SP in STB Finance Docket No. 33128 (STB served Oct. 8, 1996), which included, among others, the Bakersfield Line between Dike (MP 481.0) and West Colton (MP 494.2). The transaction was expected to be consummated on or as soon as possible after January 7, 1998, the effective date of the exemption. Decided: January 7, 1998. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 33536] Wabash Central Railroad Corporation--Operation Exemption--Wabash Central, L.L.C. Wabash Central Railroad Corporation, a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to acquire operating rights over a line of railroad owned by Wabash Central, L.L.C., from Craigsville, IN (milepost 117.8), to Van Buren, IN (milepost 108.6), a distance of approximately 26.4 miles of rail line and incidental trackage rights. Decided: January 7, 1998. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Docket No. AB-32 (Sub-No. 83)] and [STB Docket No. AB-355 (Sub-No. 23)] Boston and Maine Corporation--Abandonment and Springfield Terminal Railway Company--Discontinuance of Service--in Hartford and New Haven Counties, CT On December 29, 1997, the Boston and Maine Corporation (B&M) and Springfield Terminal Railway Company (ST) (referred to collectively as applicants) filed with the Surface Transportation Board (Board), Washington, DC 20423, an application for permission for B&M to abandon and ST to discontinue service on a line of railroad known as the Canal Branch extending from milepost 14.50 in Cheshire, CT, to milepost 24.00 in Southington, CT, a distance of approximately 9.50 miles, in Hartford and New Haven Counties, CT. The line traverses U.S. Postal Service ZIP Codes 06410, 06467, 06479, and 06489. Applicants have indicated that there are no agency stations located on the line. The line of railroad has appeared on B&M's system diagram map or has been included in its narrative in category 1 since February 28, 1997. Decided: January 12, 1998. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Docket No. AB-55 (Sub-No. 558X)] CSX Transportation, Inc.--Abandonment Exemption--in Franklin County, TN CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSXT) has filed a notice of exemption under 49 CFR part 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon approximately 1.41 miles of its line of railroad between milepost OJC- 0.30 and milepost OJC-1.71 at the end of track, in Decherd, Franklin County, TN. The line traverses United States Postal Service Zip Code 37324. CSXT has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the line for at least 2 years; (2) there is no overhead traffic moving over the line; (3) no formal complaint filed by a user of rail service on the line (or by a state or local government entity acting on behalf of such user) regarding cessation of service over the line either is pending with the Surface Transportation Board (Board) or with any U.S. District Court or has been decided in favor of complainant within the 2-year period; and (4) the requirements at 49 CFR 1105.7 (environmental reports), 49 CFR 1105.8 (historic reports), 49 CFR 1105.11 (transmittal letter), 49 CFR 1105.12 (newspaper publication), and 49 CFR 1152.50(d)(1) (notice to governmental agencies) have been met. Provided no formal expression of intent to file an offer of financial assistance (OFA) has been received, this exemption will be effective on February 21, 1998, unless stayed pending reconsideration. Environmental, historic preservation, public use, or trail use/rail banking conditions will be imposed, where appropriate, in a subsequent decision. Pursuant to the provisions of 49 CFR 1152.29(e)(2), CSXT shall file a notice of consummation with the Board to signify that it has exercised the authority granted and fully abandoned the line. If consummation has not been effected by CSXT's filing of a notice of consummation by January 22, 1999, and there are no legal or regulatory barriers to consummation, the authority to abandon will automatically expire. Decided: January 12, 1998. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 33540] Blue Mountain Railroad, Inc.--Trackage Rights Exemption--Union Pacific Railroad Company Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) will agree to grant local trackage rights to Blue Mountain Railroad, Inc. (BMR) between: (1) UP milepost 210.0 atJuniper, OR, and UP milepost 218.0 at Wallula Heights, WA; and (2) UP milepost 0.0 at Wallula, WA, and UP milepost 2.0 near Attilia, WA, a total distance of 10 miles. BMR will be permitted to provide local switching service only to Boise Cascade Corporation, Ponderosa Fibers, and WATCO, Inc., at Wallula, WA. The transaction is expected to be consummated on or shortly after January 15, 1998, the effective date of the exemption. Decided: January 15, 1998. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 33474] Iowa Interstate Railroad, Ltd.--Lease and Operation Exemption-- Union Pacific Railroad Company ACTION: Notice of Exemption. SUMMARY: Under 49 U.S.C. 10502, the Board exempts from the requirements of 49 U.S.C. 10902 the lease by Iowa Interstate Railroad, Ltd. (IAIS) and operation of 6.4 miles of railroad owned by Union Pacific Railroad Company between milepost 358.568 at Des Moines, IA, and milepost 365.0 at West Des Moines, IA, in Polk County, IA, subject to labor protective conditions. DATES: The exemption will be effective 60 days after IAIS certifies to the Board that it has posted at the workplace of the employees on the affected line, and served on the national offices of the labor unions with employees on the affected line, a notice of the transaction, setting forth the types and numbers of jobs expected to be available, the terms of employment and principles of employee selection, and the line that is to be leased. Decided: January 12, 1998. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 33542] CSX Transportation, Inc.--Trackage Rights Exemption--Consolidated Rail Corporation and Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail), as owner, and Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Company (IHB), as operator, have agreed to grant overhead trackage rights to CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSXT), to operate its trains, locomotives, cars, and equipment with CSXT's own crews over Conrail's Kankakee Line between Michigan Avenue, Indiana Harbor, IN, milepost 0.0 plus-minus, and Osborn, IN, milepost 4.8 plus-minus, at the connection between Conrail's Kankakee Line and the Norfolk and Western Railway Company, a total distance of approximately 4.8 miles. The trackage rights are restricted to bridge traffic only between the termini of the trackage rights for trainload movements of finished automobiles and associated empty equipment to and from the Ford Mixing Center in the Calumet Yard area. Pursuant to a trackage rights agreement, dated April 9, 1906, Conrail granted trackage rights to IHB to operate over portions of its railroad, including that portion of the Kankakee Line which CSXT will acquire upon the effective date of this exemption. Since IHB acts as agent on behalf of Conrail in the performance of supervision, control and maintenance of this line of railroad, IHB is included as a party to the trackage rights agreement. The transaction is expected to be consummated on January 19, 1998, the effective date of the exemption. Decided: January 16, 1998. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 33539] The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company--Trackage Rights Exemption--Southern Pacific Transportation Company Southern Pacific Transportation Company (SPT) has agreed to grant overhead trackage rights to The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) over SPT's line between Caldwell, TX, in the vicinity of SPT's Ennis Subdivision milepost 30.8, and Placedo, TX, in the vicinity of SPT's Victoria Subdivision milepost 14.2, a distance of approximately 152.7 miles. The trackage rights are limited to southbound movements and are provided solely to facilitate directional operations between Houston, TX, and Placedo. In addition, the trackage rights will continue only so long as SPT continues to operate directionally between Houston and Placedo. The transaction was scheduled to be consummated on January 19, 1998. The purpose of the trackage rights is improve the operating efficiencies of SPT and BNSF. Decided: January 20, 1998. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 33537] GRC Holdings Corporation--Acquisition Exemption--Union Pacific Railroad Company GRC Holdings Corporation (GRCH), a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to acquire from Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) a 244.5-mile line of railroad between Vigus, MO (milepost 19.0), and Pleasant Hill, MO (milepost 263.5). GRCH intends immediately to convey to Missouri Central Railroad Company (MCRR) the assets necessary to conduct railroad operations over the line. The earliest date possible for consummation of the transaction is March 17, 1998, 60 days after GRCH certified that it posted the required notice at the affected employees' workplace and served notice of the transaction, as required, on the national offices of the labor unions with employees on the affected line. This transaction is related to STB Finance Docket No. 33508, Missouri Central Railroad Company--Acquisition and Operation Exemption--Lines of Union Pacific Railroad Company, wherein MCRR has filed a verified notice of exemption to acquire: (1) the above-noted railroad assets from GRCH, and (2) specified incidental trackage rights directly from UP. Decided: January 20, 1998. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 33508] Missouri Central Railroad Company--Acquisition and Operation Exemption--Lines of Union Pacific Railroad Company Missouri Central Railroad Company (MCRR), a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to acquire from GRC Holdings Corporation (GRCH) and to operate a 244.5-mile line of railroad currently owned by Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) between Vigus, MO (milepost 19.0), and Pleasant Hill, MO (milepost 263.5). MCRR also is acquiring directly from UP incidental trackage rights over UP's lines of railroad between Vigus (milepost 19.0) and Rock Island Junction, MO (milepost 10.3), and between Pleasant Hill (milepost 263.5) and Leeds Junction, MO (milepost 288.3), a total distance of 33.5 miles. The earliest date possible for consummation of the acquisition from GRCH is March 17, 1998, 60 days after GRC certified, in the related proceeding below, that it posted the required notice at the affected employees' workplace and served notice of the transaction, as required, on the national offices of the labor unions with employees on the affected line. This transaction is related to STB Finance Docket No. 33537, GRC Holdings Corporation--Acquisition Exemption--Union Pacific Railroad Company, wherein GRCH has concurrently filed a verified notice of exemption to acquire the above-noted 244.5-mile line from UP. Decided: January 20, 1998. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Docket No. AB-192 (Sub-No. 1)] The Birmingham Southern Railroad Company; Abandonment and Discontinuance of Trackage Rights in Jefferson County, AL On January 9, 1998, the Birmingham Southern Railroad Company (BS) amended an application it filed with the Surface Transportation Board (Board) on December 22, 1997, to abandon a portion of its line of railroad known as the Birmingham Branch, extending from BS Milepost 146+97.22 near East Thomas Station to the end of the line near Birmingham Station, a distance of 3.869 miles, in Jefferson County, AL; and to discontinue its trackage rights over Norfolk Southern Railway Company's (NSR) line between NSR's Mileposts 143 and 144 near Birmingham Station, a distance of .614 miles in Jefferson County, AL. The trackage rights include the right of BS to travel over approximately 500 feet of main line track over which NSR continues to maintain traffic, and approximately 2,741 feet of yard track which was removed by NSR approximately 10 years ago. The line includes only one station, Birmingham Station No. 605, near BS Milepost 25+67.42 and traverses United States Postal Service ZIP Codes 35203, 35204 and 35233. BS amended its original filing to clarify that the portion of the Birmingham Branch sought to be abandoned consists of only two segments: (1) The Birmingham Running Track, extending a distance of 2.78 miles between BS station 0+00 and BS station 146+97.22; and (2) the Birmingham Yard, extending a distance of 1.08 miles between BS station 0+00 and BS station 56+83.94. BS maintains that a third segment originally included in its December 22, 1997 filing (the Ingalls Iron Works Track, extending a distance of .29 miles between BS station 3+20.28 and BS station 18+41.48), is actually exempt industry/switching track that should not have been included in the abandonment application. Accordingly, BS does not seek abandonment authorization for the Ingalls Iron Works Track. The abandonment application will be deemed to have been filed on January 9, 1998, the date the clarification was filed, and hence the procedural schedule will run from that date. The Birmingham Branch has appeared on the applicant's system diagram map or has been included in its narrative in category 1 since 1990. Decided: January 22, 1998. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Docket No. AB-31 (Sub-No. 31X)] Grand Trunk Western Railroad, Incorporated--Abandonment Exemption--in Oakland County, MI Grand Trunk Western Railroad Incorporated (GTW) has filed a notice of exemption under 49 CFR Part 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon a 0.72-mile line of its railroad between milepost MP-0.0 (south end) and MP-0.72 (north of Tregent Street) on the Cass City Subdivision in Pontiac, Oakland County, MI. The line traverses United States Postal Service Zip Code 48342. GTW has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the line for at least 2 years; (2) any overhead traffic that previously moved over the line can be rerouted over other GTW lines; (3) no formal complaint filed by a user of rail service on the line (or by a state or local government entity acting on behalf of such user) regarding cessation of service over the line either is pending with the Surface Transportation Board (Board) or with any U.S. District Court or has been decided in favor of complainant within the 2-year period; and (4) the requirements at 49 CFR 1105.7 (environmental reports), 49 CFR 1105.8 (historic reports), 49 CFR 1105.11 (transmittal letter), 49 CFR 1105.12 (newspaper publication), and 49 CFR 1152.50(d)(1) (notice to governmental agencies) have been met. Provided no formal expression of intent to file an offer of financial assistance (OFA) has been received, this exemption will be effective on February 28, 1998, unless stayed pending reconsideration. Environmental, historic preservation, public use, or trail use/rail banking conditions will be imposed, where appropriate, in a subsequent decision. Pursuant to the provisions of 49 CFR 1152.29(e)(2), GTW shall file a notice of consummation with the Board to signify that it has exercised the authority granted and fully abandoned the line. If consummation has not been effected by GTW's filing of a notice of consummation by January 29, 1999, and there are no legal or regulatory barriers to consummation, the authority to abandon will automatically expire. Decided: January 22, 1998. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 33544] Union Pacific Railroad Company; Trackage Rights Exemption; Southern Pacific Transportation Company Southern Pacific Transportation Company (SP) has agreed to grant overhead trackage rights to Union Pacific Railroad Company over SP's Del Rio Subdivision from milepost 210.70, near Tower 105, to milepost 219.33, near Withers, in the vicinity of San Antonio, a distance of 8.63 miles in Bexar County, TX. The earliest the transaction can be consummated is January 28, 1997, the effective date of the exemption (7 days after the notice of exemption was filed). The purpose of the trackage rights is to permit UP to improve the efficiency of its train operations and to assist in avoiding rail traffic congestion in the vicinity of San Antonio. Decided: January 23, 1998. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 33543] Southern Pacific Transportation Company--Trackage Rights Exemption--Union Pacific Railroad Company Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) has agreed to grant overhead trackage rights to Southern Pacific Transportation Company (SP) over UP's tracks known as the Los Angeles Subdivision from milepost 158.9 near Daggett to milepost 162.0 near Yermo, a distance of 3.1 miles in the vicinity of Los Angeles, CA. SP states that it filed this notice of exemption to extend the trackage rights it received from UP in STB Finance Docket No. 33129, effective September 26, 1996 (STB served Oct. 8, 1996), which included, among others, trackage rights over UP's Los Angeles Subdivision. The transaction was expected to be consummated on or as soon as possible after January 21, 1998, the effective date of the exemption. Decided: January 22, 1998. ================================================================== Comments or questions about this compilation should be directed to Paul Moore at 71367.1057@Compuserve.com. ==================================================================